What type of connection head is best for your RTD or thermocouple application?

There is a wide variety of RTD and Thermocouple connection heads available today. The type of connection head you need depends primarily on the environment in which it operates and any regulatory requirements. The following are the most common considerations when choosing connection heads:

Moisture
Applications such as food and beverage require frequent wash downs of the equipment with high pressure water. This moisture has a way of finding weak points in electrical enclosures and disrupting operations. If this is a factor in your application, make sure the connection head you plan to use has an intrusion protection rating that is applicable. NEMA and IP are common ratings for intrusion protection; each rating spells out the environment it can protect against. 

Construction
Connection heads can be constructed of Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Polypropylene or Cast Iron, depending on the requirements of the application. For example, installations that require explosion proof and flame proof standards such as Ex, FM, CSA or others, can only be achieved with a material and design that meet those criteria. One other consideration when evaluating construction is any presence of corrosive elements. Corrosive environments generally require a material such as stainless steel.

Access
The most common type of cover is a screw on cap attached with a retaining lanyard. A seal is included between the housing and cap. For most applications, the connection only needs to be accessed for troubleshooting and maintenance.

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